The death of Fyodor Ivanovich on January 6, 1598, as well as the fact that he did not leave behind an heir, led to very sad events in Russia. Formally, power was supposed to pass to Irina, but she did not agree to the throne, promoting her brother Boris to him. For this, she even went to the monastery. But everything turned out to be much more complicated, and Boris Godunov went to the kingdom very hard. The reign of Boris Godunov was supposed to begin immediately after Irina left for the monastery, but the Boyar Duma did not recognize him as a tsar, and the Romanovs sharply criticized Boris.

As a result, Boris moved to the Novodevichy Convent. From January 20 to February 10, 1598, processions went to him there, which were organized by Patriarch Job. Those who came asked Boris for the kingdom. Boris set a condition - to convene a Zemsky Sobor. By the way, this is the whole Godunov - outwardly he says: "No, I don't want only a narrow circle to elect me, I want to be elected at the Zemsky Sobor." He perfectly understood that he would never be elected in a narrow circle, so a wide Zemsky Sobor should be convened, and the Boyar Duma should be replayed on it.

Zemsky Sobor against the Boyar Duma

On February 17, the Zemsky Sobor met, which elected Boris Godunov to the kingdom. But that didn't mean anything. Because the Boyar Duma was supposed to register it, but it refused to do so. That is, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris, and the Boyar Duma rejected his candidacy. She proposed to introduce Boyar rule in the country (in other words, an oligarchy), but the Zemsky Sobor opposed this.

The split at the top led to the fact that the question of succession was transferred to the streets. And here Godunov had an advantage, because by controlling the political investigation, he had a lot of agents who began active campaigning for him on the streets.

On February 20, a procession was organized to Boris and Irina so that Boris would take the throne. But Godunov categorically refused. He tied a handkerchief around his head, saying that he would rather hang himself than become an illegitimately elected king.

On February 21, the demonstration was repeated, and, finally, Godunov agreed. However, the Duma stood his ground and on February 26 Boris returned to Moscow and Job blessed him to reign. Formally, the reign of Boris Godunov began, but the Duma still remained silent. That is, it turns out that Godunov is still an illegal tsar. As a result, Boris again leaves for the Novodevichy Convent.

Godunov's trick in the fight against the Duma

Members of the Boyar Duma began to weave a new intrigue. They decided to bet on Simeon Bekbulatovich. Let me remind you that at some point Ivan the Terrible planted Simeon Bekbulatovich, a baptized Tatar, as Grand Duke of Moscow. At the time of the beginning of the Troubles, he was already quite an old man, but the Boyar Duma (maybe because of this) made a bet on him. And then Godunov came up with a very interesting move (the fact that this move got enough sleep later). Suddenly the messengers jumped up and said: "The Crimean threat. The Crimeans are coming to Moscow!" Godunov began to gather an army for a campaign. In Russia, there was such an order since ancient times - all prominent representatives of the boyar duma automatically became military commanders. And all the commanders before the start of the campaign took an oath of allegiance to the king. If you do not take an oath of allegiance to the king before a military campaign, then you are a traitor and automatically: either a link or a block. Since Boris Godunov was blessed by the patriarch and the Zemsky Sobor to reign, the Boyar Duma had to kiss the cross and swear allegiance to Godunov. The Cossack army marched to the Oka, and there were no Crimeans there. So Godunov outplayed the Boyar Duma. Those, after returning from the "campaign", were again forced to kiss the cross to Boris, and then the real inauguration of the king had already happened.

Boris Godunov secretly gave dinner to the boyars for 5 years not to shed blood in any case, no matter what they did. The young king understood that the future of his dynasty depended on the nobility. Therefore, he sought to show the boyars that he was their king. He returned to the Boyar Duma those who had suffered from the Oprichnina, and tried to make them a counterweight to Shuisky and the Romanovs. Indeed, at that time, the Shuiskys and the Romanovs acted as allies.

Personality of Boris Godunov

Being a sickly and superstitious person, Godunov was very afraid of damage. It seemed to him that his opponents were spoiling him. And since there was distrust on both sides, sooner or later this "abscess" had to break through. And it broke. Bogdan Bilsky was the first to fall. He was put in the pillory, his entire beard was plucked one hair at a time, and sent into exile in Nizhny Novgorod. Then, in October 1600, the Romanovs were accused of malicious intent regarding the life of the tsar. Opponents of the Romanovs from among the noble boyars were specially selected for the Duma commission to solve this problem. Why were the noble boyars chosen? Because, from the point of view of the table of ranks, the Godunovs were much higher than the Romanovs. Fyodor, the leader of the Romanov clan, was tonsured a monk under the name of Philoreta (this is the father of Mikhail Romanov, the future Russian Tsar), and his three brothers were sent to Siberia, where they all died in difficult conditions.

It must be said that Boris, for all his virtues, was a very suspicious person. He was afraid of assassination attempts and damage, taking this very seriously.

Klyuchevsky

What to say about Boris himself? Contemporaries, who were not even disposed towards him, wrote that he had a very good face, that he had very good manners and friendly speech. Boris had an unshakable will, which he hid under the guise of a soft, doubting and wavering person. He was a very good actor, was a great speaker and was a very good family man. Godunov was the first Russian tsar who sent boyar children to study abroad. He sent 10 people to study - not a single one returned. It is even known that one of these "children" later became a pastor in Scotland. Under him, water supply appeared in the Kremlin, new bridges and stone shops were built. Therefore, even Boris's opponents say that if he were a little more lucky and had a little more time at his disposal, then he could do a lot of good things.

But Godunov was not lucky. The fact is that his main strategy was - "undercover games." There he was a real master. "Under the carpet" he feels very well, but the problem is that the king also needs to act "above the carpet." Intrigue alone is not enough. Sometimes you need to go out to people and inspire them with respect, trust and reverence. Boris did not know how to do this. His personality brilliantly corresponded to the era that preceded the Troubles, but when the Troubles had already begun in Russia, Godunov could not be the tsar of the people. It was rather weak for confusion, because the games were already over here, and it was necessary to be ready for the battle for the throne. He was unprepared.

Domestic and foreign policy of Godunov

The main stages of Russia's domestic policy during the reign of Boris Godunov are as follows:

1. "Tax amnesty". The population was forgiven all debts to the state.
2. The death penalty was abolished for 5 years (it is noteworthy that the reign of Godunov itself lasted a little more than 5 years).
3. Improvement of the Kremlin and Moscow. Construction of fortresses in the south of the country.
4. Education of boyar children in Europe (a failed undertaking).
5. Attempts to open mass educational institutions for all. Unsuccessful attempt.

The complexities of Godunov's reign

What was working against Godunov then? Everything seemed to be. The reign of Boris Godunov was marked by a severe famine of 1601-1602. Here's what led to it. At the beginning of the 17th century, the "Little Ice Age" began in Europe. This is due to many factors, ranging from systematic volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean, which continued throughout the second half of the 16th century, and ending with more serious climatic movements. In Russia, the summer of 1601 was cold and rainy. In the spring of 1602, frosts hit, which destroyed the seed fund. As a result, in 1602 and 1603 - a strong crop failure. If at the end of the 16th century bread was sold for 3-4 kopecks for "Chetvertina", then already in 1603 for 3-4 rubles. As a result, the population began to die massively from hunger.

Godunov tried to solve the problems - he expanded the construction work, organized the distribution of grain. In the context of the famine of 1601-1602, he announced the temporary restoration of St. George's Day. What was it for? So that the peasants who belonged to the poor landlords could go to those who are richer, just to survive the famine. But as a result, Godunov, by this decision, set against himself that part of the nobles who were poor. That is, Godunov found himself in a very difficult situation, when he had no useful steps. In chess, this is called "zugzwang". He makes 1 move, solves one problem, but it creates another (sometimes several). As a result, in 1603 Godunov reversed his decision on the peasants. Now the peasants are already dissatisfied, because they cannot go to work for a rich landowner. That is, the socio-economic situation in the country deteriorated sharply.

Fight with False Dmitry 1

The army of False Dmitry was weak. After the first serious and ending skirmish on the banks of the Desna in December 1604, the Poles, the famous Polish hussars, decided that an easy walk would not work here, and then let False Dmitry go on his own. On January 21, 1605, the Battle of Dobrynich took place. In it, the tsarist troops defeated the troops of the impostor. Moreover, False Dmitry himself acted very bravely. He distinguished himself in the battle, but its outcome was decided by the royal infantry. A third of the impostor's army died, and he himself fled (moreover, they initially thought that he had died and only then did they find out that he had fled). The Russian governors were convinced that the problem of False Dmitry was solved and the final victory won.

Boris Godunov ordered, however, to continue hostilities and his governors Sheremetiev, Shuisky, Mstislavsky began the siege of the city of Kromy. The Allied army settled in Kromy, in which there were 200 people and 500 Cossacks. Only 700 people. They were surrounded by an army of 80 thousand, which could not break the resistance of the besieged. So the army and governors did not want to fight. Therefore, this army began to decompose, which also led to another hotbed of distrust in Godunov.

The end of the reign of Boris Godunov

In fact, after this, the reign of Boris Godunov was over. New uprisings began in the country in the southern regions, in the Bryansk region, and the Cossacks played a special role in this. Godunov regularly received reports that the fighting was not going as it should. As a result, the king was greatly demoralized. He was not the kind of person who could make difficult, strong-willed decisions in a difficult situation. He became indifferent to everything. On April 13, 1605, he got up from the table, and his nose, ears, and throat bled. Just 2 hours later, he died, having managed to bless his son Fedor for the kingdom.

Answers to questions from readers

We invite you to familiarize yourself with brief answers to the main questions of readers that most often come to our site:

• What opportunities opened up for the country during the reign of Boris Godunov? The period of the reign of this king did not set great prospects for Russia. This is due to the fact that the popular movements were too strong, as a result of which great forces had to be spent on pacifying the situation. The dubiousness of the claims of this tsar to the Russian throne ultimately led to the fact that ordinary people left him.
• What new features in public life appeared before the country during the reign of this king? Among the new features that began to appear in Russia under Godunov, it is necessary to highlight the softening of attitudes towards their subjects. In fact, Godunov refused to pursue a policy of intimidation, which consists in mass repressions. It is also necessary to highlight that it was under this tsar that active uprisings began in Russia, which were largely directed against Tsar Boris.
• Was Boris Godunov involved in the death of Tsarevich Dmitry? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. The commission that investigated the death of the prince came to the conclusion that Dmitry, playing with a knife, stabbed himself. This is an absurd assumption, which in no way explains how the wound was received in the form of a deep and long cut in the neck. Moreover, Dmitry was a legitimate contender for the Russian throne, and only his death opened the way for Godunov there. Of course, today it is difficult to find evidence of the involvement of other persons in the death of the young prince, since the investigation was led by Godunov himself, and his relatives were subordinate to him. It is noteworthy that the inhabitants of Uglich (the place where the tragedy occurred) without trial and investigation killed the officials whom Boris sent to the cities to spy on Dmitry.
• Give an assessment of the domestic and foreign policy of Tsar Godunov. The main section of the current article describes in detail the features of domestic and foreign policy in Russia in this period.

Boris Godunov was born in 1552, in the family of a medium-sized Vyazma landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov. Boris's father Fyodor and his brother Dmitry, in addition to family estates near Vyazma, from which they carried local service to the sovereign, also owned a small estate in Kostroma.

After the death of his father, Boris was taken into his family by his uncle, Dmitry Godunov. During the years of the oprichnina, Vyazma, in which the possessions of Dmitry Godunov were located, passed to the oprichnina possessions. The ignoble Dmitry Godunov was enlisted in the oprichnina corps and soon received the high rank of head of the Bed Order at court.

And then Boris himself became an oprichnik in 1570, and in 1571 he was a friend (representative of the groom) at the wedding of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with Marfa Sobakina. In the same year, Boris himself married Maria Grigoryevna Skuratova-Belskaya, daughter of Malyuta Skuratov.

In 1578, Boris Godunov became a kravchim (a court rank in charge of stewards serving food and drinks). Two years later, Ivan the Terrible, after the marriage of his son Fyodor to Godunov's sister, Irina, granted Boris the title of boyar. The Godunovs slowly but surely climbed the hierarchical ladder.

Godunov was smart and cautious, trying to stay in the background for the time being. In the last year of the tsar's life, Boris Godunov gained great influence at court. Together with Bogdan Belsky, he became one of the closest people to Ivan the Terrible.

On March 28, 1984, Ivan the Terrible died, Fedor Ioannovich “Blessed” ascended the throne. The new tsar was not able to govern the country and needed a smart adviser, so a regency council of four people was created: Bogdan Belsky, Nikita Romanovich Yuryev, princes Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky and Ivan Petrovich Shuisky. Boris Godunov himself, on the day of Fedor's coronation, was showered with favors - he received the rank of equerry (this rank was considered one of the most prestigious at court - only boyars were given), the title of a close great boyar and governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms.

Death of Dmitry's heir

As long as Tsar Fyodor was alive, Boris's power seemed firmly secured. However, if Fedor died childless, the boy Dmitry became a potential contender for the Moscow throne. If Dmitry became king, his relatives would seize real power.

As stated in the annals of the times of the Romanovs, Boris Godunov was guilty of the death of Dmitry, because Dmitry was the direct heir to the throne and prevented Boris from advancing to him. Isaac Massa (Dutch diplomat) gives the same version. However, Godunov's participation in the conspiracy to kill the tsarevich has not been proven.

Nicholas Ge. Boris Godunov and Tsarina Marfa, summoned to Moscow for interrogation about Tsarevich Dmitry at the news of the appearance of an impostor

In 1829, the historian MP Pogodin was the first to take the risk of defending Boris's innocence. The original of the criminal case of the Shuisky Commission, discovered in the archives, became the decisive argument in the dispute. He convinced many historians of the 20th century that the true cause of the death of Ivan the Terrible's son was still an accident - Tsarevich Dmitry suffered from epilepsy, he experienced exceptionally severe seizures. On Saturday, May 15, 1591, at about noon, Dmitry was amused at the palace with four other boys, his usual partners, playing knives (poking). As the nanny of the commission of inquiry sent from Moscow later told, Dmitry suddenly had a severe epileptic seizure. "And he stabbed himself with a knife, and she took him in her arms, and he went away in her arms." The boys confirmed her words.

The news of Dmitry's death and the riots that broke out in Uglich after his death reached Moscow in the evening of the next day. It was immediately decided to send an investigative commission and a detachment of archers to Uglich to suppress the rebellion. The commission was headed by Prince Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky. With the arrival of the commission, the unrest in Uglich ceased.

The task of the commission was not to draw any conclusions of its own, it was only to interrogate witnesses and participants in the events and submit to the government a report on its investigation. Witnesses gave different testimonies about the death of the prince. The information of those who claimed that Dmitry was killed was not hidden. In addition to investigating the circumstances of Dmitry's death, the commission also collected information about the role of Nagy in the rebellion and the nature of the rebellion of the townspeople.

On May 24, Moscow was shocked by terrible fires that began simultaneously in different parts of the city. The chronicle, written after the canonization of Tsarevich Dmitry, explained the fires as God's punishment for the murder of the Tsarevich. But in reality the fires were the result of the work of arsonists. Their leaders were captured, and they told the boyars that they were paid for this by the people of Afanasy Alexandrovich Nagoy (uncle of Tsarina Maria Nagoy, Dmitry's mother), and that Afanasy sent his people to organize arsons in many other cities, including Chusovaya in the Urals .

Dmitry's mother, Empress Maria, took the tonsure under the name of Martha and was sent to a monastery near Beloozero. None of the Nagi were executed, but exiled to distant cities and imprisoned. Their property was confiscated. The Uglitsky townsmen, who took an active part in the rebellion, were sent to Siberia to settle in the newly founded city of Pelym.

The reign of Boris Godunov under Tsar Fedor

The activities of Godunov's board were aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of statehood. Thanks to his efforts, even during the reign of Tsar Fedor, in 1589 the first Russian patriarch was elected, which was the Moscow Metropolitan Job. The establishment of the patriarchate testified to the increased prestige of Russia.

Unprecedented construction of cities and fortifications unfolded. In 1585 the Voronezh fortress was built, in 1586 - Livny. To ensure the safety of the waterway from Kazan to Astrakhan, cities were built on the Volga - Samara (1586), Tsaritsyn (1589), Saratov (1590). In 1592 the city of Yelets was restored. On the Donets in 1596 the city of Belgorod was built.

In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey approached Moscow with a 1500-strong army, however, being at the walls of a new powerful fortress and under the guns of numerous guns, he did not dare to storm it. In small skirmishes with the Russians, the Khan's detachments were constantly defeated; this forced him to retreat, abandoning the convoy. On the way to the south, to the Crimean steppes, the Khan's army suffered heavy losses from the Russian regiments pursuing him.

In foreign policy, Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. On May 28, 1595, a peace treaty was concluded in Tyavzin (near Ivangorod), which ended the Russian-Swedish war of 1590-1595. Godunov managed to take advantage of the difficult internal political situation in Sweden, and the Russian kingdom, according to the agreement, received Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye and Korela (in return, Boris left Narva to the Swedes as compensation). Thus, Russia regained all the lands transferred to Sweden following the unsuccessful Livonian War.

Election of Boris Godunov as Tsar

In mid-June 1592, Tsarina Irina gave birth to a daughter, baptized Theodosia, this gave rise to hopes that Tsar Fedor would not die without an heir. The event strengthened the position of Boris Godunov. In the event of the premature death of Tsar Fedor, Boris could rule on behalf of his daughter. But on January 25, 1594, the young princess died. There were no other children. Four years later, on January 7, 1598, Tsar Fedor died.

Some boyars wished to declare the Boyar Duma the provisional government of Muscovy. The patriarch, bishops and other boyars asked Irina to retain the title of queen and transfer actual power to her brother Boris. Boris was well aware that in order to be recognized as a ruler, he needed more serious reasons than just the blessing of his sister. A new king had to be chosen.

Patriarch Job immediately began preparations. There were three contenders for the crown: Boris Godunov, the actual ruler of the kingdom in the last decade of the reign of Tsar Fyodor, Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, a senior member of the Boyar Duma, and boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Mstislavsky was inferior in popularity to Fedor Romanov. And the position of Boris was much stronger, since he had been at the pinnacle of power for several years and was known as an experienced and gifted ruler. To many it seemed safer not to change the established order. In addition, Boris had more supporters among the nobles than Fyodor Romanov and had a large number of votes.

Boris Godunov is informed of his election to the kingdom

The elective Council met on February 17, 1598. When Patriarch Job found with satisfaction that the overwhelming majority favored Boris Godunov, he persuaded the rest to accept Boris as tsar in order to achieve a unanimous vote. And so it was done. But when Boris was informed of his election, he refused to accept the throne. He explained to the patriarch that he wanted special guarantees that he would not only be elected Tsar, but would also be recognized as the founder of a new dynasty.

On February 18, Patriarch Job convened a new meeting of the elected Council in the Assumption Cathedral. At this Council, it was decided to consider every Muscovite a traitor who recognizes any other person as his sovereign, except for Boris, his son Fyodor and their descendants. Every Muscovite who knew about such a traitor had to expose him before the patriarch and the Cathedral. The patriarch was to excommunicate him from the church and hand him over to the authorities for trial.

On February 26, the patriarch, the clergy and the people led Tsar Boris into the Assumption Cathedral for a thanksgiving service. After that, Boris returned to his cell in the Novodevichy Convent and spent Great Lent and Easter there. Only on April 30 he settled in the royal palace. But the coronation, according to his desire, was postponed until September 1. The cathedral continued its work until this date.

The reign of Boris was marked by the beginning of Russia's rapprochement with the West. The contacts of the Muscovite state with Europe, which began to actively develop even in the time of Ivan III, practically ceased under Ivan the Terrible. In the reign of Boris, relations with foreign countries revived again. Merchants, doctors, industrialists, military men, scientists went to Moscow. They received positions, good salaries, land with peasants. Tsar Boris had an intention to open a university in Moscow, but this was prevented by the conservative clergy, who feared that along with knowledge, all sorts of heresies would come to Russia. European culture has penetrated Russian everyday life. This applied to clothing, housing, social ceremonies, and even things like shaving beards. Boris sent Russian people to study abroad, but they, as a rule, did not want to return to their homeland.

Under him, unheard of innovations entered the life of Moscow, for example, a water pipe was built in the Kremlin, through which water rose with powerful pumps from the Moscow River through the dungeon to the Konyushenny yard. In 1600 Tsarev-Borisov was built. The settlement and development of the lands deserted during the yoke to the south of Ryazan began. The city of Tomsk was founded in Siberia in 1604. In the period from 1596 to 1602, one of the most grandiose architectural structures of Russia was built - the Smolensk fortress wall, which later became known as the "stone necklace of the Russian Land." The fortress was built to protect the western borders of Russia from Poland.

Great Famine of 1601-1603

In 1601 there were long rains, and then early frosts broke out. According to modern scientists, prolonged weather anomalies were the result of the eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano in Spanish Peru and a massive release of ash into the atmosphere. The following year, 1602, cold weather and crop failures recurred. A famine began in the country, which lasted three years. The price of bread has increased 100 times. Boris forbade selling bread more than a certain limit, even resorting to the persecution of those who inflated prices, but he did not achieve success. In an effort to help the starving, he spared no expense, widely distributing money to the poor. But bread became more expensive, and money lost its value. Boris ordered the royal barns to be opened for the starving. However, even their supplies were not enough for all the hungry, especially since, having learned about the distribution, people from all over the country reached out to Moscow, leaving the meager supplies that they still had at home. People began to think that this was God's punishment, that the reign of Boris Godunov was illegal and not blessed by God.

Mass starvation and dissatisfaction with the establishment of "lesson years" caused a major uprising led by Khlopok (1602-1603), in which peasants, serfs and Cossacks took part. The insurrectionary movement covered about 20 districts of central Russia and the south of the country. The rebels united in large detachments that advanced towards Moscow. Against them, Boris Godunov sent an army under the command of I.F. Basmanov. In September 1603, in a fierce battle near Moscow, the rebel army of Khlopok was defeated. Basmanov died in battle, and Khlopok himself was seriously wounded, captured and executed.

At the same time, Isaac Massa reports that “... there were more grain reserves in the country than all the inhabitants could eat it in four years ... noble gentlemen, as well as in all monasteries and many rich people, barns were full of bread, some of it was already rotted from years of lying, and they didn't want to sell it; and by the will of God the king was so blinded, despite the fact that he could order whatever he wanted, he did not command in the strictest way that everyone should sell their bread.

Death of Boris Godunov

In such a difficult situation, rumors began to circulate around the country that the born sovereign, Tsarevich Dmitry, was alive. Godunov was frightened by this threat looming over him. Godunov began to be called a slave tsar. And at the beginning of 1604, a letter from a foreigner from Narva was intercepted, in which it was announced that Dmitry had miraculously escaped from the Cossacks, and great misfortunes would soon befall the Moscow land.

October 26, 1604 False Dmitry I with a handful of Poles and Cossacks moved to Moscow. Even the curses of the Moscow Patriarch did not cool the enthusiasm of the people on the path of "Tsarevich Dmitry". However, in January 1605, the government troops sent by Godunov at the Battle of Dobrynich defeated the impostor, who, with the few remnants of his army, was forced to leave for Putivl.

The situation for Godunov was further complicated by the state of his health. As early as 1599, references to his illnesses appeared in the annals, and the king was often unwell in the 1600s.

April 13, 1605 Boris Godunov seemed cheerful and healthy, he ate a lot and with appetite. Then he climbed the tower, from which he often surveyed Moscow. Soon he came down from there, saying that he felt faint. They called the doctor, but the king felt worse: blood began to flow from his ears and nose. The king lost his senses and soon died at the age of 53.

There were rumors that Godunov, unable to cope with the situation in the country and the invasion of False Dmitry, poisoned himself in a fit of despair. According to another version, he was poisoned by his political opponents. To edit this text, double-click on it.

Tomb of the Godunovs in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

Boris Godunov fell to rule the country at one of the most difficult stages in the history of Russia. The interruption of the Rurik dynasty greatly affected the authority of the monarch, and Godunov himself had to regularly fight against impostors and uprisings. Despite the complexity of the domestic political situation, Godunov carried out several important reforms that had an impact on the subsequent history of the country. In addition, the new ruler tried to eliminate the horrific consequences of the unreasonable rule of his predecessor, but all these measures were drowned in a maelstrom of popular discontent.

In 1598, with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the royal dynasty of Rurikovich was interrupted, the hoop that pulled together all the warring groups of the nobility, all the discontented sections of the population, disappeared. The deep contradictions of society were immediately exposed - within the nobility itself, between the enslaved people and the authorities, between the former guardsmen and their victims, between the elite of society, princes and boyars, and the middle and small nobility.

It was during this most difficult transitional time that the boyar Boris Godunov was elected to the Russian throne, who tried already at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries. establish a new dynasty in Russia.

The young boyar began the struggle for power immediately after the death of Ivan the Terrible. At first, he was on the sidelines - he only watched how two clans grappled with each other - the Romanovs and the Miloslavskys. At a decisive moment, feeling the strength of the Romanov boyars, Godunov entered into an alliance with them and struck first at the princes Miloslavsky, having achieved disgrace from the tsar for Ivan Fedorovich Miloslavsky, who was forcibly tonsured a monk and exiled to a distant northern monastery, then - at the Shuisky boyars.

Godunov did not resort to mass executions, but mercilessly removed rivals, and then secretly organized their murders. Behind him began to stretch a train of terrible rumors. Links, secret reprisals - all this was associated with the name of the hated Godunov. The growth of taxes, which increased in the 1580s, was identified with his name. 1.5 times.

Since 1588, the decade of the actual reign of Boris began. Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich granted him the title of ruler, unprecedented until that time in Russia. Boris received the right of independent intercourse with foreign states, which he used to gain popularity in Europe. Under his patronage, English and other foreign merchants acquired great benefits in Russia.

In 1589, Godunov helped his henchman, Metropolitan Job, to acquire the title of Patriarch. The strengthened Russian Orthodox Church became its strong support.

But as if evil fate pursued the almighty boyar. And the decree on lesson years, which fettered the freedom of the peasants, and the laws of 1597, which aggravated the fate of the serfs, the people, like previous troubles, increasingly associated with the name of the all-powerful favorite. In addition, popular rumor accused Boris Godunov of the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, the only survivor, except for the fading Fyodor, the son of Ivan the Terrible.

People noticed how Boris removed his enemies - first he sent them out of Moscow, and then destroyed them with the help of his henchmen.

With the death of Fyodor Ivanovich in January 1598, the contradictions between the top of the boyars and Godunov escalated.

Boris sought at first to transfer the throne to his sister, Tsaritsa Irina. This failed, and then Boris Godunov began an open struggle for the royal throne. Who were his opponents? The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Fyodor Nikitich, and a distant relative of Ivan III, Fyodor Ivanovich Mstislavsky, could claim the royal crown, but they did not put forward their candidacies.

There was a situation when the suppression of the Rurik dynasty opened up the opportunity to move from autocratic rule of the country to collective government. The boyars decided that power in the country should be transferred to the Boyar Duma. For the sake of this, the Romanovs, Mstislavskys, Golitsyns and other glorious Russian boyar and princely families sacrificed their claims to the throne.

The meeting of the boyars in the Kremlin demanded that the people swear allegiance to the Boyar Duma. Boris Godunov stood for the old order. He dreamed of a royal crown, that his son Fyodor would succeed him and continue the Godunov dynasty.

Therefore, simultaneously with the meeting of the Boyar Duma, Patriarch Job convened another meeting in his chambers - the Council, which proposed Godunov as king. This proposal was enthusiastically accepted.

In essence, two authorities were formed in the country - the Boyar Duma and the Cathedral. This led to the split of the country.

Political passions ran high.

Then the Patriarch organized a people's procession with icons to the Novodevichy Convent, where Godunov had retired, who tearfully asked Godunov to take the throne. But Boris pretended to refuse.

A second procession followed, and Boris agreed. Here, in the cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent, the Patriarch named Godunov the Russian Tsar. In the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the Patriarch declared Godunov tsar for the second time. But the boyars refused to swear allegiance to him. Only two months later, the general oath to Godunov began, which continued all summer. Godunov was solemnly proclaimed tsar for the third time.

Politics of Boris Godunov

In the very first days of his reign, Boris Godunov swore that he would rule justly and mercifully: “God is my witness to this, no one will be poor or poor in my kingdom. More than once in conversations with people, he touched the collar of the shirt and declared: And I will share this last one with everyone.

In an effort to win over the nobles, Boris Godunov arranged for the distribution of their salaries, which had been delayed before. He promoted many in ranks. To alleviate the fate of ordinary people, the new king canceled all tax arrears and eased the tax burden. Godunov encouraged trade in every possible way, endowed the merchants with privileges, and the Church with taxable privileges.

Godunov sought to support the economy of the middle service class of the nobles, exalted the humble, but capable people, opposing them to the well-born boyars.

This was the first Russian tsar who, attacking bribery, raised his hand against dishonest officials and corrupt judges. A clerk convicted of taking bribes was taken around the city and flogged with a whip, and a bag with a bribe was hung on his chest, whether it was money, furs, or some kind of goods. Godunov also found the worst opponents in the person of the clerical deaconship.

Boris Godunov was a passionate champion of education, highly appreciating Western culture. Under him, the German settlement in Moscow flourished - Kokuy, where a Protestant church was built.

He contributed to the development of book printing in the country, the construction of printing houses, dreamed of creating schools and even opening a university. The first of the Russian tsars, Boris Godunov, began to send noble children abroad for training.

Construction was a special passion of the new king. By his order, the first stone trading shops in Moscow and a stone bridge across the Neglinka River were erected. His name is associated with the construction of the bell tower of Ivan the Great, on which even now there is an inscription with the name of its creator - Boris Godunov. The king took care of the improvement of the capital. Under him, new pavements were laid. For the first time, water supply was installed in the Kremlin.

The country gradually began to revive, the mood of the people, especially its middle strata, changed in favor of the new king. This was facilitated by his manner of dealing with people. He was always even, affable, friendly. But behind this gentleness there was a huge will, ambition and an insatiable thirst for power. Good beginnings and thoughts constantly struggled in his soul with dark passions. Feeling the enmity of the boyars and the deacon, Godunov became extremely suspicious. Soon the Romanov boyars became victims of this suspicion.

Boris sought to remove these very rich and popular boyars from his path. Fyodor Nikitich was tonsured a monk under the name Filaret, his little children, Mikhail and Tatyana, were thrown into prison.

Table: pros and cons of Boris Godunov

	pros	Minuses
Personal qualities	A major statesman, a talented politician, caution and perseverance. He knew several foreign languages, had an excellent library. He was a stranger to inertia and prejudice. He hoped to establish peace and prosperity. He sought to eliminate the cultural gap between Russia and the West, sensitively reacted to many new trends of the era. He strove to be an "ideal tsar", who cared about the stability of society as a whole, about the interests of the state.	Moved forward as a favorite of Ivan IV, a clever courtier. His political views bore a clear imprint of the oprichnina and after the oprichnina times. He encouraged denunciations, started intrigues, and often resorted to repression. Exile and forced monastic vows are the favorite methods. The main argument is a reference to tradition (medieval society is not very receptive to innovations). Turned out to be unclaimed. Persistent rumors about involvement in the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry
	He was ruined by the exhausting struggle to preserve and strengthen his own power:
	The loss of a favorite of his high position in those days meant, most likely, not only the death of himself, but also severe trials, dishonor for all his numerous relatives.	The “artistic” Godunov showed an extraordinary art of intrigue, the desire to rule alone in spite of everything. The extermination of the Shuisky and Belsky clans.
Domestic politics	Rejection of the policy of mass terror; The desire to consolidate the entire class of landowners; Measures during a famine: Permission to transfer peasants from one owner to another Release of serfs whom the landowner could not feed Free distribution of bread Organization of work paid for by bread Fixed prices, punishment of speculators He supported the townspeople, facilitated the situation of those who were engaged in crafts and trade. He did everything possible to revive the catastrophically fallen crafts and trade. Widespread construction of cities in the Volga region He supported the liberation of the Orthodox Church from formal dependence on Constantinople; 1589 - the establishment of the patriarchate.	Use of repression for political purposes; Further enslavement of the peasantry. The dependence of serfs was strengthened. Bonded serfs lost the right to receive freedom by paying the debt, and remained dependent until the death of their master. A free man who went to work for hire, after six months of service, turned into a real serf; 1601-1603 - famine. Only in Moscow, 127 thousand people died. In total, about 1/3 of the population died out; He did not achieve mass support, he constantly felt the fragility of the situation; He overestimated the capabilities of the apparatus and underestimated the power of passive resistance of the aristocracy to any innovations that were dubious or harmful from their point of view.
Foreign policy	Strengthened and expanded the borders of the country. Improved the defensive structures of Moscow and Smolensk. The Solovetsky Monastery became an impregnable fortress. The international prestige of Russia has increased. Avoided wars with neighbors (15-year truce with Poland). Russia received Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, access to the Baltic Sea. Expansion of international relations.	Repressions: A painful and shameful public punishment (a beard was pulled out by a hair). Then they exiled. Link 5 Romanov brothers (only Filaret survived).
	A far-sighted and cautious policy aimed at reviving the economy and raising Russia's international prestige made it possible to postpone the conflict, but not prevent it. He got the hardest task - overcoming the terrible consequences of the oprichnina (economic crisis, disunity of the population). An unprecedented step - sending abroad 18 noble children to study. Widely opened the door to foreign specialists (the first attempt at modernization).	The desire to single-handedly rule in spite of everything did not allow B. Godunov to avoid the crisis in time. He did not justify the hopes placed on him. Disappointment quickly turned into hatred.

Tsar Boris Godunov is a bright and controversial personality of the Time of Troubles. His relatively long reign marked the beginning of one of the most dramatic periods in Russian history. The strong and cunning ruler failed to completely eliminate the consequences of the dynastic crisis. Having achieved important successes in domestic and foreign policy, he nevertheless could not overcome to create for himself the authority necessary for the autocrat of Russia. Distrust of the "low-born" tsar did not allow the Godunovs to gain a foothold on the Russian throne for a long time and became one of the reasons for further civil confrontation in the Muscovite kingdom.

In 1598 the childless Fedor Ivanovich died. The Zemsky Sobor, at the suggestion of Patriarch Job, elected Boris Godunov as king. The election of Godunov to the kingdom was explained not only by the fact that the real levers of power had been in his hands for many years, not only by his relationship with the royal family. The townspeople were grateful to Godunov for easing duties, service people for strengthening peasant dependence, the clergy for the introduction of the patriarchate.

Steps and serious steps were taken by the new tsar to bring Russia closer to Europe, and then to get acquainted with Western culture. Under him, Moscow nobles were sent to study in Western Europe, Boris was seriously thinking about opening a higher educational institution in Moscow.

The prosperous reign of Boris Godunov did not last long. In 1601 famine broke out as a result of crop failure. It lasted three years. In a country devastated by oprichnina and wars, there were no resources that would allow them to survive the time of famine. Bread has risen in price a hundred times. Boris's attempts to limit the rise in prices were not successful. Secular landowners and monasteries hid bread and speculated on it. Godunov ordered the royal barns to be opened for the starving, but there was not enough bread for everyone, especially since, having heard about these distributions, people from all over the country were drawn to Moscow. However, here the famine was especially terrible, which led to the death of over 120 thousand people.

What happened undermined the authority of Boris. In the mass consciousness of a person of the Russian Middle Ages, only the "kind" tsar was legitimate. Since disasters began under Godunov, he ceased to be “good”, and, consequently, his power lost its legal character. The fact that Godunov was not a king by blood only strengthened people in the belief that what was happening was God's punishment for the unjust possession of the throne (that is, for the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry).

In 1601-1602. Boris temporarily and partially restored St. George's Day. He allowed small service people to take out the peasants, saving their estates from final ruin. Slaves were given freedom, whose owners did not feed them during the famine. But these measures could no longer calm the country.

AT 1603 For the first time, Russia was engulfed in a major uprising of the social lower classes - peasants and serfs under the leadership of Khlopok. The rebels defeated the troops sent against them.

It was possible to suppress the rebellion only after the tsar promised to forgive and release the serfs who participated in it. Meanwhile, the basis of the combat power of the uprising was made up of military serfs. Without these men, experienced in military affairs, the rebels were defeated. The uprising of Cotton was the prologue to the turmoil - the civil war that soon engulfed Russia.

TIME OF TROUBLES
I. Causes Troubles.

At the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries. The country has experienced a crisis that has affected all spheres of life. Economic reasons This crisis consisted in the fact that the country was experiencing devastation caused by the Livonian War, oprichnina, famine of the beginning of the 17th century ..

The social causes of the crisis were that the nobility was dissatisfied with their low position compared to the boyars. The peasants dreamed of the return of St. George's Day forever. The boyars sought to strengthen their positions in government, to put the royal power under their control.

Deep and political causes of Troubles. The autocratic tyrannical model of relations between power and society, imposed by Ivan the Terrible, proved its limitations. Society clearly sought to change the relationship between power and society.

In addition to all this, there was still dynastic crisis, not completed at all with the election of Boris Godunov. After all, many considered him an "illegitimate king" because of his low origin.

Establishment of the Moscow Patriarchy

Of the internal measures of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the most important was the establishment of the Russian patriarchate.

Although the Russian church was independent from the middle of the 15th century, its metropolitans were chosen from among the Russian clergy and did not go to the Constantinople patriarch for approval, but in Moscow they were also burdened by the nominal dependence of their church on the patriarch, who became the slave of the Turkish sultan. Moscow considered itself the Third Rome, which preserved ancient Orthodoxy in purity, and wished that its archpastor equaled the oldest Greek hierarchs.

Greek clerics often came to Russia to collect alms; but there was not yet a single patriarch among them. And at the beginning of the reign for Tsar Fyodor Boris Godunov, Patriarch Joachim of Antioch arrived in Moscow (1586). The king received him solemnly. Then the guest was escorted to the Assumption Cathedral to Metropolitan Dionysius. This last one, standing in full vestments in the middle of the cathedral, first blessed the patriarch, and then received his blessing. Joachim slightly remarked that it was more convenient for the metropolitan to first be blessed by the patriarch. But Dionysius did this not by his own will, but by agreement with the sovereign, which clearly showed the ulterior motive of the Godunov government. Then the sovereign sent his brother-in-law Boris to Joachim to ask him to consult with other patriarchs on how to arrange a Russian patriarch in the Moscow state. Joachim promised. He left Moscow generously gifted. Other patriarchs, having learned about the desire of the government of Boris Godunov and Fyodor, were in no hurry to fulfill it, and the matter could be delayed if by chance, two years later, Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople himself did not personally arrive in Moscow, who was overthrown several times and elevated to his cathedra sultan. Since his patriarchal church was turned into a mosque, he intended to build a new one and came through Lithuania to the Muscovite state to raise funds.

The patriarch and his retinue were placed in the Ryazan courtyard and supplied with abundant food, but the bailiffs did not let outsiders into him. This is what we usually did with foreign embassies. The solemn royal reception of the guests took place on July 21, 1588. Then the patriarch was taken to the Small Response Chamber, where he talked with the ruler Boris Godunov, telling him about his former misadventures in Constantinople and about his journey through the Lithuanian lands. But, apparently, there was no talk of establishing a Russian patriarchate. Only a few months later, gradually, Godunov's government involved Jeremiah in negotiations about this. He did not suddenly agree to the establishment of the Russian Patriarchate; then he agreed, but under the condition that he himself remain in Russia for this. Only then were official negotiations opened, which Boris Godunov took over.

The government of Boris Godunov wanted to elevate their man, Metropolitan Job, to the rank of patriarch, and not a visiting Greek. It came with the usual diplomatic dexterity: Jeremiah was offered to be the Russian patriarch and live in the ancient capital of Vladimir-Zalessky. Jeremiah said that the patriarch should live under the sovereign, in Moscow. Boris Godunov answered him that the tsar did not want to offend his pilgrimage, Metropolitan Job, by removing him from Moscow. After long negotiations, generous gifts and promises, Jeremiah abandoned his intention to stay in Russia and agreed to appoint a Russian patriarch for her. They convened a spiritual council, which elected three candidates for this dignity, Metropolitan Job, the archbishops of Novgorod Alexander and Rostov Varlaam, giving the final choice to the sovereign. But this choice was known in advance: the sovereign and Boris Godunov pointed to Job. The solemn consecration of him as a patriarch took place on January 26, 1589 in the Assumption Cathedral; it was performed by Jeremiah in concelebration with the Russian bishops. After that there was a feast in the sovereign's palace. During dinner, Job got up from the table and set off on a donkey around the Kremlin; then he returned to the palace. The next day there was a solemn meal at the Patriarch Job. Here he again left the table, and, sitting on a donkey, rode around the White City, which had just been built; part of the way his donkey was led by the ruler Boris Godunov himself.

Job, the first patriarch of Moscow. Miniature from the royal titular book

Jeremiah's companion, Archbishop Arseny of Elasson, described the luxury and magnificence of the Moscow court. With particular enthusiasm, he talks about the reception of both patriarchs on January 27 at the sovereign, and then in the chambers of Boris Godunov's sister, Tsaritsa Irina. He admires her beauty, speaks of her pearl crown with 12 teeth, in commemoration of the 12 apostles, and velvet studded with pearls. She handed Jeremiah, among other gifts, a precious cup, abundantly with pearls and semi-precious stones, and asked God to pray for granting her an heir to the Russian state. The government of Boris Godunov did not come cheaply in fulfilling Moscow's long-standing desire for a Russian patriarchate.

The elevation of the Moscow archpastor was one of the most important deeds of the reign of Boris Godunov. It also led to the rise of some other bishops. Four archdioceses were elevated to the dignity of metropolitans: Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Krutitsy; and six bishops received the title of archbishop: Vologda, Suzdal, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Ryazan and Tver. In addition, it is established that there will be seven or eight bishoprics, most of which have been newly established, which are: Pskov, Rzhev, Ustyug, Belozersk, Kolomna, Bryansk, Dmitrov. The Ecumenical Patriarch left, showered with generous gifts. In May 1591, Metropolitan Dionysius of Turnovo arrived in Moscow for alms and with a letter, which the Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, together with Tsaregradsky, confirmed the establishment of the Russian Patriarch. He was assigned the fifth place, that is, after the four Eastern patriarchs, Moscow was not very happy with the last condition, because it wanted to get the third place on the grounds that it considered itself the Third Rome.

Thus, since the reign of Boris Godunov, the Russian Church has become a completely independent and independent patriarchy from Constantinople, which has risen both in its own eyes and in the opinion of other Christian peoples. Church relations between Moscow and Western Russia also changed. Previously, the resumption in the middle of the 15th century of a special Kievan metropolis divided the Russian Church in two. But after the establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate under Boris Godunov, the Western Russian metropolitans could no longer consider themselves equal with the Moscow archpastors, and, if not de facto, then de jure, Russian church unity was restored to some extent. The exaltation of the title was accompanied by new advantages in ritual and vestments: the Moscow Patriarch now wore a miter with a cross on top, a green or crimson velvet mantle; his church pulpit, instead of the previous eight steps, rose to twelve.

By establishing the patriarchate, the ruler Boris Godunov fulfilled the long-standing desire of the Russian people and personally gained strong support at the head of the Russian Church: in Patriarch Job, who was indebted to him, and in other bishops exalted by him. Having support in the clergy, Boris Fedorovich tried to win over the military estate as well. Therefore, he diligently cared for his estates and estates. For this reason, the beginning of the attachment of peasants to the land, and, consequently, the beginning of serfdom in Russia, is also attributed to the time of the reign of Boris Godunov.

Godunov clears his way to the throne

The most important event in terms of its consequences at the beginning of the reign of Boris Godunov was the sudden death of the nine-year-old Tsarevich Dmitry, who was sent with his mother and relatives Nagimi to his specific city of Uglich. The investigation into the case of the prince announced that Dmitry himself killed himself in a fit of epilepsy, but it was his contemporaries who did not believe this. The people stubbornly kept a rumor that the prince was killed on the orders of the ruler Godunov, who was clearing his own way to the throne after the death of the childless Tsar Fedor.

Suspicion and distrust towards the actions of Boris Godunov, reaching the point of absurdity, spread among the people. In June 1591, there was a big fire in Moscow, the White City was badly damaged. There was a rumor among the people that it was the ruler Godunov who ordered the city to be set on fire in order to divert Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich from a trip to Uglich, where he allegedly was going to personally investigate the death of Tsarevich Dmitry. And when Boris began to generously help the victims of the fire, this was interpreted in the sense of currying favor with the people because of the same crime. In the month of July, there was a well-known raid on Moscow Kazy-Girey, and there were people who began to accuse Godunov of letting the khan down in order to divert general attention from the death of Tsarevich Dmitry. The government of Boris tried to acquire popular favor with generosity; royal favors were usually associated with the name of Godunov, distributed as if at his request; and disfavors appeared "on the advice" of the boyar duma. Evil slander greatly annoyed the ruler. The search began; those who were condemned were tortured, their tongues were cut, and they were put to death in dungeons. In 1592, the wife of Tsar Fedor and Boris's sister, Irina Feodorovna, was relieved of her burden by her daughter, but the following year, the little princess Feodosia died. And then Boris Godunov was accused of her death. It is curious, however, how quickly the offspring of Tsar Ivan III disappeared. In Riga occupied by the Poles, the widow of the titular Livonian king Magnus, Marya Vladimirovna, lived with her little daughter Evdokia. Godunov, with the promise of various benefits, persuaded her to return to Moscow. But then she was forced to have a haircut, and her daughter soon died, and this death was also attributed to the insatiable ambition of Boris Godunov, who, standing at the head of the board, cleared his way to the throne by eliminating all possible competitors. The baptized Khan of Kasimov Simeon Bekbulatovich, whom Ivan the Terrible once jokingly appointed tsar over the zemstvo, after the death of Tsarevich Dmitry lost his sight - and rumor accused the ruler Godunov of this!

Boris Godunov's desire for the throne was also expressed in his appeal to the sorcerers, whom he called and asked about the future. The Magi allegedly predicted to Godunov that he would indeed reign, but not more than seven years, and Boris exclaimed to this: “even if only seven days, but only reign!” Suspicion towards him reached the point that some legends attribute to him the poisoning of Fyodor Ivanovich himself. After his death, Boris had only two options: either reaching the throne, or falling, which would lead him to the monastery or to the chopping block. Of course, he chose the first option.

Election of Boris Godunov to the kingdom

Painful Fyodor Ivanovich reached only forty years of age. He died on January 7, 1598. With him, the reigning family ceased, and everyone was waiting for what order he would make regarding the succession to the throne. There are various reports on this. One by one, before his death, to the questions of the patriarch and the boyars, to whom the kingdom and the queen orders, he answered: “In this kingdom of mine and in you, God who created us is free; as He pleases, so shall it be." But saying goodbye alone with Irina, he, according to the same legend, "did not order her to reign, but ordered her to take a monastic image." According to other, more reliable reports, on the contrary, he bequeathed the throne to Irina, and appointed Patriarch Job, his cousin Fyodor Nikitich Romanov-Yuryev, and his brother-in-law Boris Godunov, who was at the head of the board, as the executors of his spiritual life. With the news of Fedor's death, people rushed in crowds to the Kremlin Palace to say goodbye to the deceased sovereign. The people's grief was quite sincere; For a long time Russia has not experienced such a relatively quiet and prosperous time as the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich. Fedor, for his piety and chaste life, was revered by the people as almost a holy man. Russian people were depressed by fears for the future.

Boyars, officials and citizens unquestioningly swore allegiance to Irina; she could not only rule the state like Elena Glinskaya, but also directly reign. But, being very pious and devoid of lust for power, she was used to being guided by the advice of her brother Boris, and now, apparently, she had one intention: to ensure that Boris was elected to the kingdom. From the ruler-regent, Boris Godunov was to become a real sovereign. On the ninth day after her death, her wife Irina retired to the Moscow Novodevichy Convent and there she soon took the tonsure under the name of Alexandra, leaving the clergy, boyars and people to choose a new tsar. The administration of the state passed into the hands of Patriarch Job and the Boyar Duma; but the soul of the government remained Boris Godunov, to whom Job was devoted with all his heart. Government letters continued to be issued "by decree" of Queen Irina.

The wife of Fyodor Ioannovich, Tsarina Irina Godunova, sister of Boris, wife of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich

Among the noblest boyars were many descendants of Vladimir the Great, who remembered their specific princely ancestors and considered themselves entitled to take the Moscow throne. But none of them had reliable support among the people. Recently, two boyar families have stood closest to the throne: the Shuiskys, or Suzdalskys, descended from Alexander Nevsky, and the Romanovs-Yurievs, close relatives of the last sovereigns on the female side, cousins ​​of Fyodor Ivanovich. However, their time has not yet come. Irina was revered as the legitimate queen, and she had a brother, Boris; all circumstances were on his side. Boris Godunov has been in charge of all the affairs of the board for at least ten years. Two of the most powerful allies acted in his favor: the patriarch Job and the nun queen Alexandra. They say that he was the first to send reliable monks around Russia, who inspired the clergy and people about the need to elect Boris Godunov to the kingdom; and the second secretly called to her military centurions and Pentecostals and distributed money to them in order to persuade her subordinates to do the same. Even more strongly in favor of Boris Godunov spoke his former clever rule: the people got used to him; and the governors and officials personally appointed by him pulled the society in his direction. There is no reason to reject the following story of foreigners. When Irina retired to the monastery, the clerk Vasily Shchelkalov went out to the people in the Kremlin and offered to swear allegiance to the boyar duma. “We don’t know either princes or boyars,” the crowd answered, “we only know the queen, to whom we swore allegiance; she is also the mother of Russia in blueberries. To the deacon's objection that the tsarina refused to rule, the crowd exclaimed: "Long live (or long live) her brother Boris Fedorovich!" Then the patriarch with the clergy, the boyars and the crowd went to the Novodevichy Convent, where, following his sister, her brother often began to retire. There, the patriarch asked the queen to bless her brother for the kingdom; asked Boris to accept this kingdom. But the latter answered with a refusal and assurances that it never even entered his mind to think about the royal throne. The first open offer of the crown was rejected by Boris. This can be easily explained by the fact that the election of the tsar was to be made by the great Zemstvo Duma from the elected people of the whole Russian land, and the ruler Boris Godunov could only accept the election to the monarch from it.

In February, elected representatives from the cities gathered in Moscow and, together with the Moscow ranks, formed the Zemsky Sobor. The number of its members stretched over 450; the majority belonged to the clergy and military service class, which was devoted to Godunov, who had long been at the head of the board; The elections themselves were carried out on the orders of Patriarch Job and under the supervision of officials loyal to Godunov. Consequently, it was possible to foresee in advance who the conciliar election to the kingdom would stop at. On February 17, the patriarch opened a meeting of the Great Zemstvo Duma, and in his speech directly pointed to the ruler Boris Godunov. The whole meeting decided "to urgently beat Boris Fedorovich with the brow and not to look for anyone other than him in the state." For two days in a row, prayers were served in the Assumption Cathedral that the Lord God would grant them sovereign Boris Fedorovich. And on the 20th, the patriarch and the clergy with the people went to the Novodevichy Convent, where Boris Godunov was then, and with tears they begged him to accept the election. But this time, too, they were resolutely refused. Then Patriarch Job resorts to extreme measures. The next day, February 21, after solemn prayers in all the churches of the capital, he raises banners and icons and goes in procession to the Novodevichy Convent, calling there not only citizens, but also their wives with infants. The patriarch and all the hierarchs agreed that if this time the tsarina and her brother refused to fulfill the will of the people, then they would excommunicate Boris from the church, and themselves lay down the hierarchal vestments, put on a simple monastic dress and forbid church services everywhere.

Boris Godunov came out of the monastery; prostrated himself before the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir and with tears told the patriarch why he erected miraculous icons. The patriarch, for his part, reproached him for resisting the will of God. Job, the clergy and the boyars entered the queen's cell and beat her with their foreheads with tears; the people crowding around the monastery fell to the ground with weeping and sobbing and also begged the queen to give a brother to the kingdom. Finally, nun Alexandra announces her consent and orders her brother to fulfill the desire of the people. Then Boris, as if involuntarily, says with tears: “Be, Lord, Thy holy will!” After that, everyone went to church, and there the patriarch blessed Boris Godunov to reign.

It is difficult to say how much sincerity and how much hypocrisy were in these actions. However, it can be assumed that everything was done according to the secret leadership of Boris Godunov, in whose hands were all the threads of control. There is news that bailiffs almost forcibly drove the people to the Novodevichy Convent and forced them to cry and yell; they add that the slanderers, who entered the queen’s cell with the clergy, when the latter approached the window, gave a sign to the bailiffs because of her, and they ordered the people to fall to their knees, pushing the recalcitrant in the neck. It is said that many who wanted to portray crying smeared their eyes with saliva. On the part of Boris Godunov, repeated refusals are explained by the expectation of being elected by the Great Zemstvo Duma and the desire to give his consent the appearance of submission to the persistent will of the people, and finally by the Russian custom, which demanded that even a simple treat should not be accepted suddenly, but only after intensified requests. They say that the Shuiskys almost ruined things: after the refusal on February 20, they began to say that it was not appropriate to beg Boris Godunov further and that another tsar should be elected. But the patriarch rejected their proposal and arranged a religious procession the very next day. They also say that the boyars wanted to elect Godunov on conditions that limited his power, and they were preparing a letter on which he was to take the oath. Having learned about this, Boris Godunov refused all the more so that, with the pleas of the people, all restrictive conditions would become inappropriate.

Boris Godunov's own reign

Boris spent the entire Great Lent and Easter beside his sister in the Novodevichy Convent, and only after that did he settle in the royal palace with his wife Maria Grigorievna, daughter Xenia and son Fedor; it was furnished with solemn church ceremonies and a sumptuous feast. Further, the reign of Boris Godunov was conducted in his own name. Boris was well aware that his strength on the throne depended on the support of the military service class, and tried to win his favor.

Rumors came from the Crimea that Khan Kazy-Girey was preparing for a new raid on Moscow. It is not known whether these rumors were solid or intentionally started, but Boris deftly took advantage of them. He ordered the soldiers to hurry to the assembly places and move the regiments to Serpukhov, where he himself arrived in early May with a brilliant court. Here he personally arranged the gathered huge army. They say that it stretched up to half a million, as if Russia had never fielded such a large army. The nobles and children of the boyars tried to show zeal in front of the new tsar Boris Godunov, and almost all of them came with a full number of armed men, while the boyars put aside their parochial accounts for a while. The tsar spent several weeks in the camp near Serpukhov, showering the soldiers with various favors. Finally, the news came that the khan, having heard about the royal preparations, canceled his campaign; ambassadors came from him with peace proposals. They were led to the king through a crowded camp, in which gunfire was heard; the Tatar ambassadors left, frightened by the sight of Russian power. Boris Godunov returned to Moscow, disbanding the warriors to their homes and leaving the detachments necessary for guard service. The servants were very pleased with the new king and expected the same favors from him in the future. Godunov entered the capital in triumph, as after a great victory.

It was only on September 1, 1598 that Boris Godunov was crowned king. The tsar and the patriarch spoke a welcoming word to each other. But what was out of the ordinary and struck contemporaries was the following vow, unexpectedly and loudly pronounced by Boris in response to the patriarchal blessing: “Great Father, Patriarch Job! God is my witness that there will be no beggar and orphan in my kingdom!” Taking himself by the collar of his shirt, he added: “I will share the last shirt with them!” Foreigners add that Boris Godunov, moreover, made a vow for the first 5 years of his own reign not to execute any of the criminals, but only to exile. However, next to such vows, a cross-kissing record was drawn up, which spoke too much of the king's distrust of his subjects, exposing his suspicion and superstition. Those who swore on this record, in addition to promising not to look for anyone else in the Muscovite state besides Tsar Boris Godunov and his children, also swore that they would not inflict any harm on the sovereign and his family, neither in food, nor in drink, nor in dress, not a dashing potion or root to give, sorcerers and witches for the sovereign's famously not to get, not to send any downwind to the sovereign, and if he finds out about someone's such plans, he informs about it without any cunning.

The royal wedding of Boris Godunov was accompanied by luxurious feasts, treats to the people and many favors: awards to the boyars, roundabouts, the issuance of double annual salaries to service people, benefits to merchants in paying duties, and to peasants and foreigners in taxes and dues. Of the numerous relatives of Godunov, Dmitry Ivanovich Godunov was granted the stable, and Stepan Vasilyevich - the butlers. Boris tried to reconcile with his election the old boyar families, who considered themselves more entitled to this election. He became related to the Shuiskys and the Romanovs: Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky's brother Dmitry was married to the tsar's sister-in-law (youngest daughter of Malyuta Skuratov) Ekaterina, and Ivan Godunov married the Romanovs' sister Irina.

The first years of Boris Godunov's own reign were, as it were, a continuation of the time of Fyodor Ivanovich. Inside the state, the experienced and active ruler Godunov worked hard to maintain civil order and justice and really showed concern for the lower classes of the population. He reduced the number of taverns, again allowed some cases of peasants passing from one landowner to another, severely punished thieves and robbers.

The foreign policy of the period of Boris Godunov's own reign set the task of bringing Russia closer to Europe and strengthening the new dynasty on the throne through marriage alliances with the ruling families of the West. Godunov loved his children and cared about their future. He tried to marry his daughter Xenia to one of the European princes, and raised his son, Fedor, with special care, tried to give him the best education and, in order to arouse the love of the people for him, he presented as an intercessor and peacemaker. Boris not only seated Fyodor next to him at ceremonial receptions, but also instructed him to sometimes receive foreign ambassadors. Boris gave his son the meaning of a co-ruler - a custom not new in the Muscovite state, which came from Byzantium.

Suspicion of Godunov and his persecution of the boyars

But all the efforts of Boris about the strength of his dynasty were in vain. Godunov lacked an open, courageous character and generosity, kind to the people. (These qualities were possessed by his contemporary Henry IV, the ancestor of the Bourbon dynasty in France.) Instead of showing more trust and being able to forgive, during the years of his own reign, Boris Godunov more and more showed petty envy and suspicion. With oath notes, he thought to protect himself and his family from assassination attempts. Something similar is repeated in his decree on the healthy bowl. Before drinking this cup, it was now necessary to say a special prayer for the health and happiness of the Tsar's Majesty and his family, for the perpetuity of his offspring in the "Russian kingdom", etc. Fearing intrigues from the noblest boyars, Boris Godunov carefully followed them, encouraged espionage and denunciations. The latter soon set him up for such actions, which finally deprived him of popular disposition.

Among the boyars who suffered during the reign of Boris Godunov from his suspicion was Bogdan Belsky, once his friend, removed from Moscow at the beginning of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich and then returned from exile. Concerned about building fortresses in the southern Ukraine against the Crimeans, Godunov, at the beginning of his own reign, sent Belsky to build the city of Borisov there. But the tsar was informed that Belsky generously rewards military people, and gives the poor money and clothes; for which they glorify him. They also reported on his next boast: "Boris is king in Moscow, and I am in Borisov." Godunov was inflamed with anger at Belsky, ordered him to be captured and imprisoned in a distant city. One foreigner (Brussov) adds that Godunov ordered his foreign physician to pluck out Belsky's thick beard, probably in retaliation for the fact that he did not like foreigners and was a zealot of old Russian customs. The nobles who were together with Belsky during the construction of the city also suffered.

During the reign of Boris Godunov, disgrace also raged against other noble boyars, mostly on the denunciations of their servants and lackeys. The servant of Prince Shestunov denounced his master. Although the accusation turned out to be unimportant, and Shestunov was left alone, the scammer was generously rewarded: on the square in front of all the people they announced that the tsar was granting him an estate and enrolling boyar children in the estate. After such encouragement of denunciations, the servants of the boyars often began to cock various accusations against their masters. Denunciations multiplied to such an extent that wives began to inform on their husbands, children on their fathers. The accused were tortured and tormented in prisons. Sadness and despondency spread throughout the state. Those boyar servants who did not confirm in court the accusations brought against their masters were subjected to burning fire and cutting their tongues until the desired testimony was forced out of them.

Starting to rule on his own, Boris got to the Romanovs-Yurievs (the founders of the next reigning dynasty), who seemed to him dangerous in their proximity to the last tsars of Vladimir's house and in the people's disposition towards them. Godunov's minions managed to persuade Bartenev, a courtyard man of one of the five "Nikitich" brothers, Alexander. Semyon Godunov gave Bartenev sacks of various roots; he threw them into the pantry of Alexander Nikitich, and then appeared with a denunciation, saying that his master had stocked up some kind of poisonous potion. During the search, the tossed bags were found. They tried to give publicity to the case: the bags were brought to the yard to the patriarch himself. The Romanov brothers were taken into custody; they also took their relatives, the princes Cherkassky, Repnin, Sitsky, and others. Their servants were tortured by order of Godunov, trying to extort the necessary testimony from them. In July 1601, the verdict followed. The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Fyodor Nikitich, the most gifted and enterprising, was tonsured under the name Filaret and exiled to the Anthony Siysky Monastery, in the Kholmogory region. His wife Xenia Ivanovna, nee Shestova, was tonsured under the name of Martha and exiled to Zaonezhye. Alexander Nikitich was exiled to Usolye-Luda near the White Sea, Mikhail Nikitich to the Perm Territory, Ivan Nikitich to Pelym, Vasily Nikitich to Yarensk. Three of the brothers could not stand the harsh exile and died before the end of the reign of Boris Godunov. Filaret and Ivan survived. Ivan was returned by the Godunovs to Moscow. But Filaret Nikitich remained in captivity; spies reported on all his speeches. Filaret was cautious at first, and the bailiff Voeikov reported: “Only when he remembers his wife and children, he says: My little children! Who will feed and water them? And my poor wife! is she alive? Tea is brought there, where no rumor will go. As soon as you remember them, it will definitely push in the heart with a horn. They bother me a lot; God forbid to hear that God would clean them up earlier. Three years later (in 1605), the bailiff Voeikov was already complaining about the Siya hegumen Jonah for making various indulgences to Elder Filaret. And about the latter, he reports that he “does not live according to the monastic order, laughs at God knows what and talks about worldly life, about hunters and about dogs, how he lived in the world, and is cruel to the elders, scolds them and wants to beat, and says to them: You will see what I will be in the future." This change in Filaret's behavior occurred after rumors of the impostor's successes and the expectation of the impending fall of the Godunovs reached the far north.

Disasters at the end of Boris Godunov's reign

To the gloom spread by disgrace and executions (contrary to the promise of Boris during the royal wedding), physical disasters were added. The last years of Boris Godunov's rule turned out to be very difficult for Russia. In 1601 there was a terrible famine due to an extremely rainy summer, which did not allow the bread to ripen, and an early frost, which finally beat it. People plucked grass like cattle; secretly ate even human flesh and died in great numbers. Boris Godunov wanted to attract people with favors and ordered to distribute money to poor people. But this measure caused even greater evil: the inhabitants of the surrounding regions moved to Moscow and died of starvation in the streets and along the roads. A pestilence joined the famine. In Moscow alone, they say, about half a million perished. Only a good harvest in 1604 ended the disaster. Around this time, in order to give work to black people, Boris Godunov ordered the Grozny's wooden palace to be demolished and in its place erected new stone chambers in the Kremlin. (In 1600 he completed the famous bell tower of Ivan the Great.)

In connection with famine and pestilence, terrible robberies also multiplied. The Time of Troubles began. Many boyars and nobles, having nothing to feed their servants, dismissed their lackeys; from other serfs scattered themselves. These hungry, wandering crowds made up numerous bands of robbers, which were especially rampant in the Seversk Ukraine. They appeared near Moscow itself, under the command of the daring ataman Khlopki Kosolap. Boris Godunov sent a significant army against them with the governor Ivan Basmanov. Only after a stubborn battle did the royal army disperse the robbers, while losing their governor. Khlopko was captured and hanged (1604).

Dissatisfaction with the royal suspicion and the disasters of the last years of the reign of Boris Godunov undermined the strength of his throne and prepared the minds for